A craft brewery trail through Margaret River

Come for the wine, stay for the craft beer: your guide to the best craft breweries in the Margaret River region.

A world-class wine region with a dramatically beautiful coastline and lush green interior, it’s little wonder that the Margaret River has won over the heart of many a traveller. But while wine (and in more recent times, its winery restaurants) might be the region’s major calling card, it’s far from being the only reason to visit. This bucolic corner of WA is also home to a burgeoning craft brewery scene that’s slowly turning heads nationwide.

From a microbrewery located in an industrial precinct to a cosy taphouse that’s housed in the head brewer’s old family home, and a brewpub that’s set on an old dairy farm amid rolling pastureland, Margaret River’s breweries are as diverse as they are plentiful.

For a point-to-point guide that takes in the best of the brewery offering in Margaret River, follow our carefully curated craft brewery trail below.

Shelter Brewing Co, Busselton

The first cab off the rank is Shelter Brewing Co. Located right by the water on the Busselton foreshore, you’ll not only get to sip stellar beers, but also soak up ocean views and relaxed beachy vibes. Their selection of sips includes various styles, catering to different tastes and preferences, such as the light and refreshing Juicy Juicy XPA (Extra Pale Ale) or the malty Red Ale with caramel and dried fruit flavours.

There are also a range of wines and cocktails to choose from. Everything is to be enjoyed with a range of wood-fired, classic pizzas that are made in an imported Italian Marana Forni pizza oven.

Rocky Ridge Brewing Co, Busselton

If walking into Rocky Ridge Brewing Co feels like you’ve arrived home, you wouldn’t be mistaken: this inviting Busselton brewery’s taproom is in fact located within the former family home of its owners, the Coates family.

The building dates back to the 1930s, and was revamped and opened in its current guise, as a temple to beer, in 2019. It’s since gone from strength to strength, earning a legion of loyal fans from near and far who come for the slow-brewed, preservative-free and unpasteurised beers served from its 25 rotating taps, as well as its burger menu.

You’ll find all the usual suspects here (hazy IPAs, unfiltered lagers, pale ales) as well as a raft of unconventional limited edition releases – think maple bacon stout and an imperial dragon fruit sour. Pull up a pew at one of the long tables running down the side of the house, watch the world go by from the high-top tables in the paved front yard, or cosy up under the heaters in the back garden.

Not only is the Coates family serious about beer, but they’re pretty serious about sustainability too. Their off-site Jindong brewery is completely off-grid and achieved carbon-neutral status in 2021.

The Sophisticated Beast, Vasse

It’s an easy 15-minute drive from Busselton’s Rocky Ridge to this Vasse microbrewery, where small-batch, wild ferment, farmhouse-style beers reign supreme.

The self-proclaimed smallest brewery in Western Australia, The Sophisticated Beast lies hidden in the unlikely location of an industrial estate. And true to owner-operator Ryan White’s word, the brewery and its cellar door are wildly modest, with room for just a handful of guests.

Cheeky Monkey HQ Taphouse, Vasse

Just a few doors down from The Sophisticated Beast (quite literally a four-minute walk away) lies Cheeky Monkey HQ Taphouse (currently undergoing renovations and set to reopen in November 2022). Much like its neighbour, the hours at this Margaret River brewery and taphouse are a touch out of the norm and there’s also an industrial bare-bones aesthetic.

On the flip side, you can sink a cold pint of an uncomplicated crisp multi-award winning XPA while admiring the inner workings of a working brewery, from mammoth gleaming fermentation vessels to the bottling line.

Play a game of pool, work your way through the pizza menu, and pick up a few takeaway tinnies before hitting the open road once again.

The brewery also has a sprawling, mother venue in Wilyabrup, known as the Caves Road Brewpub, that’s a fine spot to visit on a sunny day with 16 extravagantly crafted beers on tap.

Eagle Bay Brewery Co, Eagle Bay

This family-owned brewery in Eagle Bay is more than just a brewery. Onsite you’ll also find a restaurant, garden bar, veggie garden and vineyard. This ultra-modern establishment boasts sweeping views of farmland, bushland, Cape Naturaliste, and the Indian Ocean. The microbrewery produces a range of handcrafted beers on-site from the unique Cacao Stout (5.5% ABV) to the tropical fruity My Friend Nelson IPA.

Nab a spot outside and nibble on woodfired pizzas, gourmet share platters, and salads. There’s also a playground onsite to keep your little ones entertained.

Wild Hop Brewing Company, Yallingup

Drive 20 kilometres further west from Cheeky Monkey and you’ll reach Wild Hop – a dreamy, tranquil retreat tucked away in the Yallingup hills, between the trees and next to a dam, that epitomises the term ‘boutique brewery’.

A favourite haunt among in-the-know locals, this brewpub likes to keep things simple. There’s no ‘core range’ of beers on offer here. Just one beer – the Short Shorts Czech Pilsner – is a constant, while the other 10 taps are always rotating, featuring whatever has been dreamed up by the brewers and most recently batch brewed. The fact that Wild Hop doesn’t can or bottle their beers only adds to the draw (and exclusivity).

There’s nothing pedestrian about the food menu here either. Forget your pub classics: the kitchen at this Margaret River brewery uses seasonal ingredients to piece together its ever-changing share plates menu, which is presided over by a wood-fired rotisserie oven. The juicy whole or half-free range chook has become something of a house signature.

Beerfarm, Metricup

It’s only another 15-minute drive from Black Brewing Co.’s HQ to the rural locality of Beerfarm. A local legend of a place, this sustainable Metricup brewery does exactly what it says on the tin, bringing together beer and a working farm in one location, with cattle, sheep, alpacas and chickens all resident on its 65 hectares.

A rustic joint, housed within an old dairy farm and hayshed that dates back to the early 1900s, Beerfarm has plenty of character as well as a growing number of beer industry accolades to its name.

There are always eight core beers on tap here, alongside the brewery’s off-kilter special releases. Perhaps chief among Beerfarm’s more unconventional and alluring pours is its Native Series, which highlights Indigenous ingredients through collabs with Indigenous organisations (think a quandong and samphire gose, and a wattleseed red ale).

Beyond the beers and ambience, punters here are guaranteed a good meal too. Burnt Ends Smoking Co heads up the kitchen, bringing some seriously moreish low-and-slow style barbecue to the Margaret River, using spent grain and grass-fed Angus beef sourced straight from the same farm.

Cowaramup Brewing Company, Cowaramup

Take the Bussell Highway and drive 10 minutes south to arrive at Cowaramup Brewing Company, a spacious brewpub with a scenic country backdrop. Parents, for one, will be thrilled to see that there’s a kid’s playground, while hopheads will relish the refreshingly simple six-strong line-up of craft beers.

The German-style Cowaramup Pilsener, with its crisp finish and moderate bitterness, has become the house’s most popular drop, but there’s also a hefeweizen, a summer ale, a special pale ale, an IPA, and a chocolate porter to try. Sample them all with one of the house’s tasting paddles, or sign up for a brewery tour to see behind the scenes. It’s a plum spot for a pub lunch too, with tables spilling out onto the deck and manicured lawns.

For more insider tips and inspiration, see our ultimate travel guide to Margaret River.

The post A craft brewery trail through Margaret River appeared first on Australian Traveller.